(WIBW) - The former tax director of a now defunct tax company has been sentenced.

61-year old Daniel Gleason of Tennessee will spend more than six years in federal prison and pay more than $3 million for his role in a tax fraud scheme by a Topeka-based firm called Renaissance the Tax People.

Gleason pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service and to defraud Renaissance members through mail and wire fraud, and one count of preparing a fraudulent federal income tax return.

In his plea, Gleason admitted that in March 1998 he signed a contract to represent the company's members before the IRS in defending their tax returns.

He also admitted he assisted in the preparation of 56 false income tax returns. Among them was a 1999 Form 1040 joint income tax return for a couple that falsely claimed losses of $13,914 and resulted in a tax loss of $3,176. Fraudulent income tax returns that Gleason prepared either falsely inflated or falsely created business deductions for personal living expenses.

Michael Cooper, the founder of Renaissance is still awaiting sentencing.

Other defendants in the case:
– Todd Eugene Strand, who was sentenced to 51 months.
– Thomas W. Steelman, who was sentenced to 46 months.
– Jesse Ayala Cota, who was sentenced to 24 months.
– Frances Ruth, who was sentenced to 2 years probation.
– Alexander Anthony Federico, who was sentenced to 2 years probation.
– Elizabeth Crotts, who was sentenced to 2 years probation.